Best Left Forgotten
by lewdness
Summary: [Pre KH1] Everyone who lived in Hollow Bastion had a history, it was just that Squall's happened to be tangled with a scientist, his assistants and a past he hoped to forget. [Hinted AnsemSquall, implied XaldinSquall and others] [Part of Music Box]
1. Chapter 1

Written for archy the cockroach. This was supposed to be simply a Ansem/Squall + Xaldin/Squall smutty one-shot, and it grew into something else entirely.

Pre-KH, of course, and since it mentions the Organization members, spoilers maybe- depending on how far you've gotten in KH.

Enjoy!

--

1.

Ansem didn't know why he did it; no, maybe he did, a little. Everyone in Radiant Garden had known each other for such a long time that even the slightest news traveled quickly, so when the news that Raine's husband had died (not died, _vanished_) he knew it was his responsibility to do something. Two days later, the young woman had moved into a comfortable room in the castle and he had waved off any questions about why he had done what he had. A few weeks later, she had a son that she named Squall Leonhart.

2.

"He's a charming boy," Ansem said with a smile, watching the young boy laugh as he chased after a small black cat and very nearly ran into a wall when he slipped over the smooth stone floors. Raine moved to take a step forward, but Squall just shook himself, pushed his hair back from his eyes, waved to the two of them, and then continued his game. "He's a strong one, too, you know."

The woman nodded, brushing back a few strands of dark hair behind her ear and looking as if she were fighting to say something, but unsure how to go about it. "I don't like to ask things, especially when you've done so much for us already," she began uncertainly, her eyes flicking from her son to the blond man standing beside her. "But, if something were to happen to me, will you continue to look after Squall?"

"Of course," Ansem answered smoothly, placing a large hand on the younger woman's shoulder and noting how thin and frail she seemed. "You have my word, Raine."

3.

Squall kept a tight grip on Ansem's hand the entire way through the garden, reminding himself over and over not to touch anything or to get any dirt on his new clothes. Beside him, Ansem glanced down at the young boy and then came to a stop before a wild mass of roses that grew up the side of one wall. "What do you think, Squall?" he asked quietly, reaching out with his free hand to touch a rose gently. "I think Raine would have liked it."

The brunet boy nodded, scrubbing a hand over his cheeks to hide the tears, because real men didn't cry. "I… they're great," he managed, hiding a sob with a shaky breath. Ansem knelt swiftly, and Squall had a brief second to think that the older man would be getting his pants dirty before strong arms wrapped around him in a tight hug. These weren't the hugs his mother gave him, soft and gentle, this was one was firm and steady with a faintly spicy scent attached.

"It's not wrong to cry," Ansem murmured quietly and it was as if his words were what broke down the wall that was holding Squall back. The boy took in a shaky breath and then collapsed against Ansem, quiet sobs escaping him as his tears dampened the older man's shirt.

4.

Squall finished the small doodle with a twist of his pencil, jumping when his instructor smacked a ruler down on his desk to gain his attention. "As I suspected. Were you listening to anything that I've been saying, Leonhart?" The stern woman demanded, her long fingernails tapping on his desk. His silence was answer enough, obviously. "How am I expected to teach you anything when your attention wavers over the smallest thing?"

Biting his bottom lip, Squall wondered what he was supposed to say- did it require an answer or was he just supposed to let her yell at him? Maybe he should have just apologized and gotten it over with right when she had used the ruler on the desk, or maybe-

Salvation came in the form of one blond man opening the door and peeking in. "Ah, I was right, there you are, Squall." Ansem stepped into the small room, flashing a charming smile to the teacher as he moved to where Squall was seated. "You've been working hard lately and I wondered if you were in the mood for a treat to celebrate, perhaps? It's almost dinner as it is, and-"

"Yes, please!" Squall stood up quickly, shuffling his papers into a neat pile with the doodles on the very bottom and the work on the top. The teacher didn't seem to be pleased at all, but it meant that he was getting out of class almost a full hour early so he didn't quite care as much as he maybe should have. Handing the woman the bundle of papers, his lips curled in a quick smile and then rushed to the door with all the speed of his eleven years of age. A few moments later, he and Ansem were walking down the hallway and bouncing ideas for dinner off of each other- Sunday nights had become a tradition where instead of eating in the castle they would go out to the centre of town to one of the many little restaurants that lined the streets.

"How about the sandwich store for now, and then over to the ice-cream shoppe?" Ansem finally suggested, already knowing what the answer would be. A second later an enthusiastic nod and laugh escaped the boy, the thought of sea-salt ice-cream making up for the hours of school work that he had been doing.

5.

"I think that you really hurt her feelings," Cloud finally said, shifting so he could sit more comfortably on the stone wall that overlooked the castle grounds. "I mean, seriously. She went home crying."

Squall scowled moodily at the black pants he wore, picking at one of the stray threads absently. Honestly, it wasn't his fault that she had gotten so mad at him- he'd told her before that he didn't _like_ her like _that_ but she hadn't gotten the clue until now and now she was _mad_ at him. She was pretty enough, he supposed- Seifer sure seemed to think so, but Seifer was a jerk most of the time, anyway.

Rinoa wasn't his type, though. She preferred sewing or picking flowers, and hated the castle, whereas the castle was his home and picking flowers didn't seem like it would be any kind of fun at all. No, his idea of fun consisted of practicing his swordsmanship with either his instructor or someone else who found the time. If he was very lucky, then Ansem would invite him down to the labs- that was always a hundred times more interesting than one of the hired instructors coming and droning on for hours on end.

"I wish one of the girls liked me," Cloud muttered, kicking the air absently. "Zack's got Aerith so I never see him anymore, an' my mom says that we're too young for girlfriends."

Squall snickered quietly, looking over at his friend. "Girls aren't worth it, Cloud, 'member? Unless, you know, you want to go pick flowers an' braid their hair." His nose wrinkled at the thought of having to do such things just for a girl. "Come on, let's go practice before lunch. Ansem said that if you wanted to, you could eat with us as long as your mom said it was okay."

The blond smiled, all thoughts of girls escaping his mind at the promise of lunch and practicing. Aerith was pushed from his mind as he leapt off the wall, hearing Squall do the same behind him. "Let's go see my mom, then."

Squall nodded, pushing Rinoa out of his mind for the moment, besides, Ansem himself was a million times better than any girl was- of that much he was sure.

6.

"You're doing very well," Ansem said, the pride evident in his voice as he watched the teen swing his blade in a glowing blue ark and strike the simulated enemy perfectly. In a burst of pixilated light, the creature exploded into nothing leaving the simulation zone empty save for the quiet pants of Squall. Ansem himself never really used the machine for battles, but it was a wonderfully useful object, being able to simulate a small area as long as it had data-encoded information to go off of. If the program kept receiving such large upgrades, he was sure that he could expand the program to become a fully functional town or city.

"Thanks." Squall flashed a small smile to the older man before moving to check his blade over for any sort of scratches or dents that might have come from fighting in the mock-up of a real battle. "The return strike of the creature seems a little slow- maybe up the speed by two, and then balance it out with a one on the strike itself?"

The blond nodded thoughtfully, filing away the suggestion for later use while at the same time taking note of the blade Squall was using. "You're fifteen now, yes?" he asked, already knowing the answer. Squall nodded, glancing up from his examination for a brief second. "You're doing exceptionally well, in both your studies and aiding me in everything we've done so far. There's someone that I think you will enjoy meeting."

7.

"Master Ansem."

Squall paused and very nearly sighed with irritation. Of course there would be an interruption- that seemed to be the luck that he had lately. Ansem turned around and blinked, not expecting to see one of the less social assistants. "Ienzo," he greeted, waiting for what was so important for the man to seek him out.

"In sector four, Even believes that he's made a break-through." Ienzo paused and then looked Squall over briefly. "You may wish to speak in private."

Squall clenched his jaw, already knowing what would happen. Ansem nodded, reaching into his pocket for one of the small notebooks he always kept on him, along with a golden pen. There was no more Ansem the Guardian, it was Ansem the Scientist. "Squall." Ansem didn't even look at the teen, "I've got research- we can pick up later, where we left off, yes?"

Squall didn't respond, he simply watched the two men head down a hallway and close the door behind them without any explanation. Scowling at the cold stone floors, the teen turned around and headed for the next place he had been planning on going to- the simulation chamber.

Tightening the laces to his thick black boots, Squall stiffened when he heard the door open and footsteps follow, fully expecting it to be Ansem. "Are you supposed to be in here?" a rough voice asked, the owner not Ansem in the slightest. No, this man had thick braids that cascaded down from a high ponytail, the same type of labcoat as the other assistants he had seen wandering the castle- though, his not zipped all of the way, letting the dark green material of his shirt beneath show. Why would one of the assistants show up here? "Can you even fight or are you just hiding out from someone?"

"I can fight," Squall snapped before he could contain himself. Still scowling, he bent down and grabbed his knees, stretching quickly. The irritation and frustration that came from Ansem ignoring him so easily seemed to just flow out of him with every stretch- an argument would only be another outlet for him. Before he could continue, the man held his hands out wide as if to claim innocence in the situation.

"I'm not saying you can't; it was just a question," the man assured, taking a few steps forward and holding out a hand. "The name is Dilan."

Squall paused a split second, glancing down at the hand and then to the taller man's violet eyes for only a brief amount of time as if deciding if Dilan was being serious or humoring him. "Squall," he said in return, shaking the man's hand.

8.

Ansem leaned back in his chair a little more, absently drumming his fingers on his knee as he waited for his companion to finish his thought. "He practically worships you, Ansem," Mickey finally said, watching the blond carefully. "Are you sure that it's best you keep him here, instead-"

"Instead of another place? My friend, I'm not sure if you remember, but his mother is dead and that means that I am all he knows. I made a promise to her before she died and I fully intend on keeping it," Ansem leaned forward, his elbows resting on the wooden desk. "I do not think you know what you ask."

"Welp, I'm not implying that you're unfit to take care of him, but Ansem, consider your studies and what they are leading up to. If you're going to continue your research on the Heartless then you need to realize exactly what you're putting at risk. The boy is just that -a boy- and you do not know how much harm you might be doing, instead of the good that you hope for." Mickey's brow furrowed with a slight frown, choosing his words as carefully as he could. "Are you willing to deal with any of the consequences? Are you willing to sacrifice-"

Ansem stood up in a rush of white and purple, his hands going flat on the desk as he fought to keep back words that he might regret later on. Part of the reason, he thought distantly, was because Mickey was right. This research, even with the extra help, was proving to be more and more dangerous and he would only be putting the rest of Radiant Garden in danger if he furthered it. The scientist in him thirsted for more knowledge and more information on the Heartless, while he knew that the risk involved was extreme. "I understand," he finally said, sinking heavily down into his chair and feeling all of his years in that one moment. "My research is for nothing, then?"

The King did not respond instantly, instead choosing to look over at the glass containers filled with glowing hearts, and the different diagrams and books strewn everywhere for the man's research. "No, not nothing. Your heart is in the right place, but you need to look at things from a way that is not purely scientific. People's hearts aren't meant to be regarded in that way."

Nodding at the words, Ansem pursed his lips in thought. "I'm glad we have the opportunity to speak like this, my friend. I'm intrigued with your hypothesis…and I'm finding it difficult to stave off the urge to test it. Still, I'm concerned about the stability of the worlds," the blond finally admitted, leaning and resting his weight on one of his arms.

"Yup, that's what worries me, too," Mickey agreed, crossing his arms absently.

"The doors that appeared, the place the Heartless seek. If the threat is truly so serious, I fear I may have brought this upon us." Ansem drew in a slow breath and then let it back out. If it was true, it was all his fault- he was to blame for everything that had occurred, and eventually, could occur after this.

There was no time for Mickey to answer; the door behind him opened up revealing a tall, slender man wearing the lab coat that many of the scientists had. The newcomer bowed deeply, his arm crossing his chest in a gesture of respect before he met Ansem's eyes. "Master Ansem, regarding the experiment I presented the other day- with your permission, I'd like to proceed-"

_They can't. This can't continue. _"I forbid it! Forget this talk of doors and the heart of all worlds; that place must not be defiled."

Xehanort looked shocked for a moment, clearly not expecting his teacher to protest what they had been working so hard on for months. "But, Master Ansem! I've been thinking…"

Ansem shook his head, regret tainting his deep voice. "Xehanort, those thoughts are best forgotten."

The deep finality in the older man's tone made Xehanort struggle to not say anything. Finally, he took a step back and bowed as respectfully as he could manage with the anger boiling inside of him.

9.

"You've got talent," Dilan admitted, watching the slender teen whirl around and cut down yet another monster before crouching and dodging the jaws of the last. "How long have you been working with the blade?"

Squall cursed under his breath when the gaping jaws of the creature caught him barely, slicing a neat little line in his leather pants. One final roll was all it took before he twisted his torso and swung the blade up and into the throat of his enemy, sighing with relief when it disappeared. "Not even close to long enough," he answered, glancing up when he realized that he still had company. "Maybe three years or so. I didn't get this," he gestured to the blade he held, "until a year and a half ago, and I'm saving up for this one down in the center market."

The black haired man nodded, brushing back a few of the braids that had fallen over his shoulder. The sword the teen spoke of could have only come from one place and since the need to buy weapons was so small in Radiant Garden, the prices were almost ridiculous. "So you're seventeen- eighteen, maybe?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at the burst of laughter that came from his question.

"Fifteen," Squall admitted finally, shrugging his answer off as if it were nothing. "Everyone always thinks I'm older than I really am and normally I don't bother to correct them."

Dilan chuckled at that, pushing himself away from the wall and walking over to where the brunet was trailing a finger over the neat slice in his pants. "You got sloppy when I talked to you- don't worry about what's going on around you as if it were more important than the battle at hand. I'm not saying close everything out, but be alert." The older man examined the blade that Squall still held, surprised when the brunet offered it hilt first for him to examine. The blade itself was lightweight, balanced well enough but it was obvious that it was not one of the blades that someone from an army would carry- it was perfect, however, for one that would probably never see a bloodthirsty battle in Radiant Garden. "It's good."

"It's mediocre- the one in the centre square is one of the best I've seen around here, but no one has bought it since they don't need it. It'd figure if as soon as I got the munny someone bought it." Squall made a vaguely amused noise, taking the blade back when it was offered to him. "You're one of the people that are doing the work with Ansem, right?"

"Yeah, there's a good number of us and I'm one of them." Dilan jammed one of his hands in his pocket, waiting to see where the teen was going with this.

"What exactly are all of you doing? I've worked with the computer system multiple times and with Ansem himself, and I'm not stupid. There's something more to the 'simple' research that he's doing- why else would the files be encrypted to the point where even I can't break them?" Squall crossed his arms. "Ansem's hiding something."

He was right, Dilan thought with a smirk, the kid was as sharp as the weapon he wielded. "You think I would know? I'm just an assistant." The man shrugged, his arms out in a gesture of innocence. "What makes you think that I'd know anything about what's going on around here?" The look that Squall shot him in return was anything but amused- he seemed almost insulted that the older man would even think that he would believe such a thing. "There's much more than you can even begin to think about, going on in here. None of us are exactly supposed to say what it is, so that's all I'm going to say about it. Xehanort'd have my head if I went and spilled all of our secrets."

Damn it. At the very least, Squall had wanted to know some way to get past the encryptions on Ansem's main computer, or at least some way for him to the information that no one else seemed willing to share. It would take too long to try every code to get into the system and the computer was a sentient being, which would make it even harder. "You're not helpful at all," Squall muttered, leaning over so that he could place the blade in its place on the wall. "The more anyone tries to hide stuff from me, the more I want to get to it."

"It'd ruin the fun if you figured everything out. You might not even like the truth that you find, so is it really worth it? Would you rather live knowing what's going on and not being able to stop it, or would you want to live under the veil where you are safe from the dangers around you?" Dilan reached out and ruffled Squall's hair, smirking down at the teen when he jerked away and shook his head. "You're a smart kid, so don't do something that you'll regret."

10.

Squall nibbled on the end of an edge of the ice-cream, licking his lips a moment afterward to catch the entire flavor before starting methodically on the other corner working his way down. For once, their time together was not filled with friendly chit-chat; it was cold and almost uncomfortable as if both wanted to say something but were waiting for the other to begin. Discreetly, Squall examined the older man, taking note of how much more _tired_ he seemed now, and how there was this aura of tenseness around him.

The man couldn't be that old- twenty-nine, thirty, maybe, but at that moment he looked as if he had gained a hundred years in spirit and it had carried over to him on the outside. Part of Squall wanted to ask if it was his fault, if he had been too needy or too clingy, and that was why Ansem had withdrawn so much. The other part of him knew that something more important was going on around him, something that either Ansem didn't trust him with, or was protecting him from. Both thoughts irritated him- hadn't he shown the older man that he was responsible, that he could handle such events?

"Your tutors have been giving me nothing but praises about you," Ansem said quietly, already finished with his ice-cream.

"That's good," Squall answered, unable to think of what else to reply with. '_Good, because I've been working hard since I don't see you more than once a week. What else am I supposed to do?_' seemed like an immature response, but at that point, the words were begging to be spilled from his lips. '_Why have you been ignoring me_?'

"One of my assistants, Di…" Ansem trailed off, obviously not having thought too much of the names of all of his assistants.

A little more than irritated now, Squall looked up fully and finished for the blond, "Dilan. His name is Dilan." The scrutinizing look that he received made the brunet wish he were seen as something other than perhaps another experiment, since that's all that Ansem seems to have the time for.

"Yes, that's it. He was telling me that you've been playing in the simulation chamber and that you've been making adjustments as you went along." Ansem steepeled his fingers and waited for Squall to finish a small mouthful of the blue dessert.

Playing? He'd gone from practicing to _playing_ now "Yeah. Some of the settings were getting a little too easy and I calibrated them to where you can set individual settings depending on weight, height, et cetera, depending on who is using it," Squall took another bite and waited for the reprimand that he figured would come, even more surprised when it didn't.

"I'd like to take a look at it with you, to see what you've done. _Dilan_ has done nothing but sing your praises as well." Ansem reached into his pocket and drew out the munny to pay for the desserts, setting it on the edge of the table with the tip set a few inches away. Squall finished a second later, pushing his chair back and following the broad-shouldered man out of the small shoppe. "I apologize if it seems that I have been neglectful as of late. I've had many things that I need to take care of."

"Dilan said that you did." Squall watched the man intently, a little part of the knot in his stomach unwinding when he saw the flicker of _something_ across Ansem's face. It might be easier to get information from Ansem, than Dilan. "The big project that's going on in the basement of the castle…"

"You're two months from being sixteen, aren't you?" Ansem said smoothly, ignoring the irritated noise that escaped the teen trailing him. "Rhetorical question. You're almost an adult, now, you know?"

Anger burned through him at the implication that he was a child- he wasn't a _child_ and he would _show_ it.

11.

"It is impressive," Ansem said quietly, his fingers dancing over the opaque screen of the computer as he checked and double checked all of the schematics and variables that Squall had been working on in his free time. "You've even evened out the backup system on the main computer- you figured out the code, I take it?"

Almost six times now, on multiple programs, his mind said smugly. "Once. I just used it to fix a few of the simulations, I haven't been able to get it since," Squall lied, knowing that Ansem probably wouldn't believe him all of the way, but there was no way to prove it wasn't the truth. "Dilan helped with some of it."

That look flickered on Ansem's face again, and this time Squall was completely sure that he saw it, though he was unsure as to what it was exactly- jealousy, maybe? "How many tests have you given it since your last update of the system?" the scientist asked, tapping a glowing blue square before making a sound of surprise at the graph displayed. "Just how far did you up the individual endurance levels here?"

Squall glanced over Ansem's shoulder, realizing that he really hadn't put too much thought into the endurance levels while he had been working. "As far as I thought I could push it," he said carefully, glancing over at the blade that was hanging in its place on the wall. "I've only tested part of it once before, I've been meaning to do so again." And, before Ansem could answer, Squall strode over to the wall and unhooked his blade carefully, rolling his shoulders in a brief movement, ignoring the protest that came from the older man. Stretching quickly and efficiently, he reached around Ansem and pressed a few buttons, hearing it chirp in response.

Thankfully, Ansem didn't object after that; instead he backed away from the simulation area and watched the brunet drop into a waiting crouch. Instead of the pale blue light of the grid, a picture of a forest or maybe a jungle, flashed up. Moss and vines grew over everything, the thick trunks of trees growing into the sides of the simulation area, branching out and blocking some of the artificial sunlight. Where were the monsters, though?

As if on cue, a twisted, deformed body of a creature Ansem had never seen before melted through the side and snarled at Squall, darting forward in a swift move. Squall didn't move until the last moment and even then it was only a quick twist of his torso and slide to the side, leaving the creature to stumble and whirl around. It was quick, Ansem realized, but it was slow-thinking and that in itself could be a danger to the teen- its movements would be unpredictable. "Sq-"

The teen didn't show any sign that he had heard Ansem; instead, he whirled around again, the jaws of the monster clacking together loudly as they missed their intended target- Squall's left leg. The program that he had fixed wouldn't just stay the same- the settings equipped made the monster that much more real- it was learning and was countering the moves that Squall made. A very large part of the teen was proud of himself for the success adjustments, but another was realizing that this might not be as good of an idea as he thought- he wanted to impress the older man, not get his ass kicked by a computer program. With that thought in mind, Squall slid back another foot, dodging behind one of the trees and crouching low. Growling, the creature lumbered forward, drool dripping down its chin as it tried to figure out where the prey was. _Three. Two. One. _Squall whirled around, still keeping low to the ground, and with a flash of his blade, decapitated the monster. Both parts of the body fell to the ground with wet thumps before melting away.

He'd done it! The glowing blue numbers on the computer flashed seven minutes and twenty-three seconds, which was much better than he thought he would have done with a new program. "Computer, dis-" Squall let out a surprised yelp when he was knocked down by _something_, his breath escaping him in a quick rush. Blinking blue-gray eyes, he barely had enough time to bring the blade up before a shadow attacked him, its eyes glowing brightly. "Computer, disengage!" He attempted again, rolling away. Pain flashed across his chest before he could react further, the skin burning where it had been shallowly cut. With as quick of a move as he could manage, he brought his weapon down into the shadowy body, relieved when it dissipated into the air just as the program flickered off around him, leaving him crouching on cold metal.

"Squall!" Ansem took three rapid steps forward, kneeling next to the teen so he could place a hand on one slender shoulder. "Are-"

Squall jerked his head up and met concerned golden eyes before shifting his attention back down. "I'm fine. There's something wrong with the program though. I set it to only one and another came out after- they shouldn't be able to do that," he brought one hand up to his chest, touching the shreds of his shirt and scowling when he felt the warm stickiness of blood on his hands. Careless mistakes had cost him. "I need to clean this off."

Ansem rose with his charge, unsure as to what he was supposed to say. He knew the boy well enough that the concern he held would be unwanted and he thought that the second creature had been a computer glitch. It was best for Squall to keep believing that- the last thing he needed was to do even more snooping and get himself into more trouble where Ansem wouldn't know until it was too late. Squall was smart though; no doubt he would check the computer for problems and when he found it wasn't the computer, he would try to examine things further. "You need a potion, they're quicker than just bandaging them up yourself," he finally said, sighing when Squall pulled away and strode over to where his weapon was kept when not in use. There were three glowing bottles set back in the niche and before he placed his blade back he grabbed one of them.

"You're hiding something from me," Squall said quietly, unscrewing the bottle before he took a mouthful of the glowing liquid and put the top back on. The pain from the cuts slowly receded, leaving him with only an echo of the stinging- something he could deal with. "I'm not ten, I'm older than you give me credit for and you have no reason to treat me like I'm that young."

"I don't treat you-" Ansem stopped, realizing that he had, in fact, been treating the teen as if he were almost incompetent. "Squall, I'm sorry. I have been taking care of things around the city and…"

Squall shook his head, running a hand through sweat-damp bangs. "I'm going to go and take a shower- you've got work to do, I believe." With that curt dismissal, Squall walked out of the room, leaving Ansem to stare after him.

12.

Squall glanced around the small, secret room, moving cautiously through so as to not upset anything and reveal that he had been there. Something inside the room was calling to him, not in words, but it was pulling him closer in his thoughts leading him somewhere. The magic in the room was almost palpable, everything in the room glowing dimly, from the boxes to the sheen of dust lying everywhere. There was a set of glass containers in the far right corner of the room, each one of them glowing a different color and setting rainbow shadows across the wall. Reaching out, the teen pulled a blue container across the dusty table, drawing in a sharp breath when it hummed under his hands.

_Release me_.

Not surprised that whatever had been calling him was intelligent enough to have a conversation, he continued forward. "Not until I know who you are. Why have you been calling me?" Squall answered firmly, feeling the glass hum a little more and then grow cold. "What are you?"

_A prisoner. Release me and understand._

"Why are you locked up here?" The teen removed his hands in an attempt to keep the curiosity and overwhelming desire to open the container at bay. "And for that matter, why me?"

_Release me and understand. I mean you no harm._

Staring hard at the glass, he tried to ignore how instead of feeling warmer from removing his hand from the glass, his entire body seemed to crave the comfort of power again. "Who are you?"

"Squall, you're not supposed to be in here. Nice job on snooping around, but-"

_There is little time. Release me- I can help you find the answers that you seek. _

In a split second, his decision was made. Squall reached forward and opened the prison, the power rushing through the room in a cold wave sending dust whirling around and freezing with the moisture in the air. "It's snowing," Squall breathed, his entire body stiffening as all of the energy that had been released suddenly rushed inside him, leaving him dizzy.

_You are strong, Lion, it will make things easier for both of us. I can help you find the answers to your questions._

"Who are you?" Squall managed, swaying as the world began to swim before his eyes. Distantly, he could hear Dilan curse loudly and the answer from the being in his head echoed through the room.

_Shiva._

--

Chapter two should be out shortly, I hope, and if I'm feeling ambitious, an epilogue to finish everything off. I'd love it if you left your thoughts, as it's my first time writing anything this long and with this much of a plot. (hah.) If you'd like to see more of my stuff, I'd rec. my writing LJ, as it houses my old stuff and bits of new stuff- the link is in my profile!


	2. Part 2

Part two, dear _god_. Epilogue to follow, eventually. Enjoy

--

13.

It had taken him about a week to adjust to having an unfamiliar entity in his head, but once he had, he didn't think that he would get used to it not being there.

_I am _not_ an 'it'._

Squall's lips curled up in a vague smile as he entered more information on the computer, copying parts and pieces of it and imputing it into a single code for another environment on the computer. '_Apologies. I know you're not an it.'_

_As you should. Do you still seek the information you did earlier?_

'_Do you even need to ask?_' he asked with a snort, double clicking on a certain part of the program. _'What do you know?'_

_I've lived for many hundreds, thousands of years and I've seen much. Light and darkness twine around the worlds, fighting for dominance yet remaining the same. Those who linger beneath your castle will lie in-between, yet choose to fight for the darkness. They seek what they can't have; thus, they begin to thirst for it. And, when the thirst becomes too great, the drive to get it overrides all else and they will stop at nothing._

'_You're talking about the scientists that Ansem's working with?' _Squall's eyes widened at the idea that the assistants might be more dangerous than they had come across as- he'd suspected it, but it had never gone beyond that.

_Indeed. The darkness they breed may very well overwhelm your world, and others, if someone does not find a way to stop it._

'_Do you know how? You said you had information, do you know how to stop what they're doing?'_

_No. I can aid you, but I do not hold the knowledge of how to defeat them. _

Squall sighed heavily, dragging a hand through his hair harshly as he tried to think about what he was going to do.

14.

"Snooping _again_?" Dilan asked with amusement, walking uninvited into the computer room knowing that Squall was used to his intrusions now and that everything he did would be kept confidential. "Did you find any nifty little tidbits lying around?"

Squall tapped a button twice more, smirking when it chirped in reply and a list of information popped up in neat little windows all over the screen. "I broke another one of the codes." He glanced back, noting the brief look of surprise on the other man's face. "Took forever, but I did. I don't suppose you want to explain what some of this means, do you? I thought you might want to explain something, since you've been oh-so-helpful up to this point."

The assistant walked over, scanning the screen quickly with a sense of growing dread- the boy wasn't supposed to have found anything out; the codes were unbreakable, or so it had been claimed. "Whole bunch of gibberish, probably a distraction while the codes reset," he lied swiftly, reaching out as if he were going to lean on the desk, fully intending on pressing the power button- on accident.

"Don't." Squall pushed the hand away, glaring up. "I've already created two backups with my own encodings just incase of something happening. I'll find out what everything means eventually, but it might be easier if you just explain to me what the giant secret is. '_But wherever there is light, doubtless there is darkness lurking_.' And, '_the darkness in human hearts'_." The teen scanned more of the report that seemed to have been written by Ansem himself. "Firstly, I will carry out experiments… Xehanort volunteered as a test subject… he was found collapsed in a street and taken in and 'became a youth that serves me well'?"

"Squall, listen to me. You don't want to read the rest of this, I'm telling you that right now. You don't need to know what is going on here; it's not worth it- let it go." Dilan grabbed one of Squall's shoulders tightly, turning him around so he could meet blue-gray eyes. "Ansem is trying to protect you from this for a reason."

Squall shook his head, pushing Dilan's hands away from him quickly and glaring up at the older man with all the anger he could muster. "He's performing experiments on human hearts below the castle, isn't he? That's what all of this is about- this is why all of you are here, to help him with that." Squall turned to the computer, his fingers flying over the keys to bring up more information now that he knew the code for it. There was no date on any of the information, but it was the next entry that made his stomach twist into a harsh knot.

_I have made a grave error. The research plans I made about the "darkness in the heart", beginning with meager psychological experiments, have rapidly grown immensely. As enthusiastically advised by my youngest disciple Ienzo, I have prepared a grand-scale research laboratory below the castle._

_Unbeknownst to me, my six disciples gathered a great amount of test subjects and began dangerous experiments into the darkness of the heart._

_As soon as I found out about this, I gathered my disciples and ordered a stop to the research, and to discard the results thus far._

_What has happened to the hearts of the six who were once my loyal disciples? While pursuing the mystery of the darkness in the heart, did they themselves lose their way in the darkness? And the most foolish thing is that it was I who originally began these experiments. Whatever the reason, the depths of the human heart should not be meddled in by others. I despaired in my own error. It was a visitor from another world who cured my grief-stricken heart. A small king named "Mickey" carried the legendary key in his hand. Yes, it was the "Keyblade" which was said to have brought chaos and prosperity to the world a long time ago. He had a great amount of interesting knowledge, and we had enjoyable lengthy discussions, growing closer._

_On his advice, I decided to re-examine the data from the underground laboratory._

_And I discovered the "Ansem Reports"._

_They carried my name, but the only one that I wrote was Number 0. Number 1 through Number 8 were written by that man of his own volition._

_By the first test subject of my foolish experiment._

"You're… you're one of them, aren't you?" Squall asked quietly, saving and backing up the files he had just uncovered, unable to read any more right then. It hadn't occurred to him that anything that had been going on would be this serious- but from the looks of it, this had been going on for months. "Six loyal disciples- you, this Xehanort, Ienzo, and three others are mentioned here. You're continuing the experiments without his permission, and-"

Dilan leaned forward jerking the chair around so he was towering menacingly over the sitting teen. "Squall. Stop this right now. You weren't supposed to find out about any of this; there was an order that any who did were to be killed on sight." The man's hands gripped the edges of the chair tightly. "I like you, but if you try to stop any of this, then know that I won't hesitate in killing you. Go about your life as it used to be, and don't get involved."

Squall stared up into Dilan's violet eyes, his jaw clenched as he debated on what to do. Ansem was aware of what was going on, but obviously couldn't take care of it himself. The 'Mickey' mentioned was just as useless, and now he was found out- no doubt Dilan would be watching him like a hawk to make sure that he had no further involvement in what was going on.

"You're going to keep killing innocent people for your experiments?" he demanded, ignoring how his voice cracked on his last word. He should have _known_. He should have been more aware to everything that was going on, should have paid more attention to the glaring signs, shouldhaveshouldhave_should_have. "You are, aren't you." It wasn't a question; Squall could practically see the answer reflected in the cold violet eyes of the older man.

Dilan smirked, and leaned forward so his lips were pressed to Squall's ear, "There isn't anyone who is innocent and while some are more innocent than others, everyone is going to die sometime."

15.

"Have you seen Cloud, lately?" Squall asked suddenly, looking up from the soup he had been stirring absently up until that point. "Both he and his friend, Zack, have been missing apparently; Aerith's really worried about them."

The blond man shook his head and took a small bite of his sandwich. "I haven't heard anything about either of them, actually. You know how they are; always looking for adventure- I'm sure they'll show up eventually."

Squall didn't respond right away, instead choosing to take a sip of the wine that normally came with dinner. Something wasn't sitting right in all the events that had occurred recently, but with no way to prove it right then, he decided that he would check it out later. Ansem was bending over to the side and coming up with a slender package wrapped neatly in blue and green- his birthday present. "I hope you enjoy it," Ansem said with a smile, pushing it across the table for Squall to grab. The teen froze for a moment, already recognizing the package for what it was; there was nothing else that was the same length and width as what he wanted.

He slipped his fingers underneath the wrapping paper to tear it neatly before pulling the slender wooden box out and setting it before him on the table. The clasp slipped open easily, revealing the glowing blade that he had been eyeing for _months_ now. Picking it up carefully, he tested the weight, swinging it lightly, away from the table. It was perfect- that was the only word that could describe it. Just as carefully, he set the blade back down and circled around the table to wrap his arms around the older man in a tight hug. "Thank you," he managed, unable to keep the idiotic grin off of his face. "I can't wait to try her out."

Ansem laughed quietly, hugging the boy back just as firmly. "What are you going to name it?"

"Lionhart, I think," Squall said, feeling the hum of agreement from Shiva at his decision. "Lionhart," he said again, testing the word and liking how it rolled off of his tongue. "Thank you."

Ansem nodded again, patting the teen's leg. "I've something to attend to after dinner, but why don't you take that time and try out your blade? I'll meet you down in the simulation center in a bit and you can show me what she can do."

Squall didn't bother fighting off the grin anymore, he only nodded, pushed in his chair and headed to the simulation chamber as fast as his legs would take him without fully running. Maybe things would be different now, maybe the research would come to a halt and Ansem's time wouldn't be as filled as it was before.

Still excited, he set up a moderately hard level and couldn't hold back the startled laugh at the way it practically sang through the air. The weight was perfect for someone of his height and build- just heavy enough where he would be able to build up his stamina and it wouldn't tire him out needlessly.

After fifteen minutes of working with it, he found his eyes turning to the doorway every few seconds, waiting for the rush of air that signaled the door opening. When it finally did, Squall whirled around all too excited, only to pause when he saw it was not Ansem, but Dilan. Hiding the disappointment at that fact, Squall lowered his blade. "Computer, disengage." He glanced around the room a final time to make sure the program had shut off completely and then made his way to where the older man was standing. "What are you doing here?"

Dilan shrugged elegantly, his hands in his pockets as he moved across the room to where Squall was standing, still holding Lionhart. "What, you don't trust me?" he asked, honestly not expecting an answer from the suspicious teen. "Fine, then. I'm not staying long, I just brought something for you- you're sixteen now, right?"

"…Yeah," Squall answered, watching the black haired man carefully.

"So suspicious for your age; I remember when you used to be happy to see me come in here." Dilan laughed, his hand closing around something in his pocket. "Here, kid." He reached out with his left hand and grabbed Squall's free one, turning it palm up. "To go with your shiny new weapon."

Before Squall could say anything, Dilan had walked back out of the room just as swiftly as he had entered leaving the teen to stare at the object in his hand. A shiny necklace lay there, the pendant a head of a lion roaring. Swallowing hard, the brunet tried to ignore the nagging little voice that said that the gift was a goodbye. Clasping the necklace around his neck, he ran his fingers over the solid weight of the pendant before moving back to the machine to turn it on.

After a half hour, the program was turned off again and Squall debated on if he should go find Ansem. An hour later, he was searching the rooms with growing alarm as the feeling that something was _wrong_ kept growing.

Squall didn't see Ansem again.

16.

Shiva was singing a warning in his head, telling him to not go down there, to stay out of the business of those who worked beneath the castle. Lionhart held firmly in his right hand, he ignored her and kept going on to his destination, the computer lab. The corridor was freezing cold and deathly silent save for his breaths and the soft clicking of his booted feet. The entrance to the hallway had been locked but with a few quick strikes from the gunblade it had creaked open and admitted him. _'Shiva, you have to be quiet, I don't know what's down here and I can't afford to be taken by surprise- everything's changed now.' _And everything had changed- Ansem was still missing, Dilan was nowhere to be found and the castle was humming with dark magic- all of this in the span of two days since his last conversation with Dilan.

The keypad to get into the main computer room was locked again- Squall didn't bother with trying to crack the new code. With a rush of Shiva's frost and ice, he froze the panel and was able to pry the door open with ease and slip inside. Two minutes after that he was inside the computer mainframe, relieved that the backups he had created were still far enough encoded that whoever had been rewriting the computer files had missed them. A few more keystrokes and he had accessed Ansem's own reports, opening the latest one.

_The "chaos" has spread to too many worlds, not just this one._

_My apprentice Xehanort has, in the "Ansem Reports" which he wrote under my name, hypothesized about the process of the terrible experiments that he carried out and the "door" that appeared in the underground darkness._

_Every living being has a heart, and in the depths of every heart there is darkness._

_The same is true for "worlds". If you consider that a world has one life, it hides a great heart... And in its depths, an immense darkness._

_Is Xehanort trying to understand the "door" to make contact with the darkness in the worlds? No, not just Xehanort. It seems that the other five disciples, have become enveloped by the darkness as a result of their fixation on it for their research. Even, Ienzo, Braig, Dilan, and Elaeus...they have ceased to be human. And I have lost everything, exiled to a nonexistent world. Having exiled me, what could Xehanort be aiming for? Have everyone's smiling faces gone?_

_As the light of hope has faded, I will now walk along with the darkness. In the world of nothingness to which I have been exiled._

_Darkness within nothingness. "Darkness in Zero"_

_Therefore, I will take the name "DiZ". I will cast aside the exile's name "Ansem"...and have my revenge._

Ansem was gone. Ansem was _gone_. He had been exiled by the very people who had been working under him and one of the people was Dilan- so it was true then, what the older man had said. He didn't want to know the truth about what was really going on, because how was he supposed to change it? Ansem hadn't been able to do anything and now he was somewhere in the darkness. How was he supposed to see the man again? How was he to even know if Ansem was alive anymore?

"Squall."

Startled, the teen whirled around, reaching for the hilt of Lionhart only to find that he was too slow. The breath rushed out of him when his back struck the metal desk, leaving stars dancing in his sight and his right arm numb. With as much strength as he could muster at that point, Squall kicked out, relived when he hit something but it proved to be pointless when a hand clamped on his throat sending his head back against the cold surface of the desk. Shiva was shrilling in his mind, wanting to be let out and _fight_. It was useless though; at that point he couldn't summon the concentration to do anything more than reach up and try to pry off the hand that was preventing him from breathing.

"What part of 'don't get involved' didn't you get?" The man demanded. "I tried to stop you but you wouldn't listen to me, even after I told you that I would have to kill you."

"T-then don't," Squall rasped, recognizing the voice instantly. With renewed vigor he fought, striking out again with his booted foot, relieved when it connected, even if it was only a slight bit. As he expected, he was shaken hard and left choking at the tight grip as his head slamming back again, sending stars flickering through his vision.

"By all means, continue fighting, though it will get you nowhere," Dilan drawled, taking the teen's blade and throwing it across the room with a clatter. "Xemnas wants me to kill you- I'm supposed to, the moment I see you. He's not pleased that you've figured this much out, even with Ansem gone."

Squall drew in as deep of a breath as he could manage, relieved when he could feel the pain of his right arm finally coming back to life. Quickly, he grabbed the wrist of Dilan and slammed his other hand down on the desk, letting Shiva's icy strength run though him once more. Distantly he could hear the man curse, no doubt from finding his hand frozen solid and his feet fixed to the ground with ice. His gunblade, he needed his gunblade before Dilan could break free from the ice. Stumbling forward, Squall scrambled past some of the miscellaneous items that had been spilled on the floor, grabbing onto Lionhart and then rolling away to put the wall to his back. "You're not Dilan," He panted, using one hand to keep him steady as he crouched, waiting for the other man in the room to attack.

"No. Very good, Squall. Dilan is dead, now, as are the rest of them. For the short time you live, you may as well call me Xaldin." Xaldin met the blue-gray eyes of the teen, a smile curling his lips when he broke free of the ice fairly easily. "Dilan was weak, but though his weakness I exist. You understand nothing of what is going on and there is nothing you can do to fix it."

Swallowing hard, Squall shook his head, ignoring the way the world spun after that. "How could you do all of this? What about all the people here, what do you think will happen to them?"

"It's none of my concern. If they have strong hearts, then they will maybe end up as a Nobody, but it's doubtful. I could see you as a Nobody, regardless of how young you are." Xaldin drew closer, ignoring the glowing blade the teen held. "Very shortly, this world will fall into darkness. Its ruler is gone and the Heartless are hungry- there is nothing you can do."

With a wordless cry of rage, Squall launched himself forward using Shiva's power to enhance his strength. He didn't know what he hoped to accomplish, if everything that Xaldin had said was true, then there was no hope for anything in this world, but he was damned if he was going down without a fight. Swinging his gunblade down in a glowing arc, he drew in a sharp breath when it was blocked by a spear he hadn't seen before. It wasn't just one either; with a flick of Xaldin's hands, there were six spears hovering in the air around them, each with a wickedly sharp tip that Squall was sure wasn't just for show.

There was no finesse now, in what he did. It was a hopeless battle- Dilan was _dead_, Xaldin had powers that Squall himself probably would never be able to compete with, and what more did he have to fight for?

_You have life._

Squall jerked back, stumbling behind the desk in order to avoid the spear that had been hurtling toward him.

_Aerith. Tifa. Cloud. _

Bringing his gunblade up in a quick, almost panicked move, he felt the rush of air that told him yet another spear came too close to where his head had been. Xaldin wasn't even fighting at full strength, Squall realized dimly. The Nobody had acquired so much power that he was barely even attempting to fight; he was simply humoring Squall until he wanted to kill him. '_It's hopeless.'_

_Aerith. Tifa. Cloud. Yuffie. Cid. Ansem. Are you willing to simply lie down and let them die?_

'_Do I have a choice?'_ Squall demanded, hissing as a spear sliced through the leather of his pants leaving a stinging line behind. '_They're probably already dead, anyway.'_

He could feel Shiva's disappointment at that, but what was he supposed to say? It was probably true- if the experiments had gone as far as he thought they had, then there was no chance that the inhabitants of Radiant Garden would have survived.

"You're not even _trying_," Xaldin growled, stalking forward with quick, deliberate steps. Squall didn't answer, instead trying to move back and get his back to a solid surface that would provide at least a little protection from the spears. In a quick gesture Xaldin flicked one finger and the teen suddenly found himself thrown into the air. There was a brief moment of panic before his stomach flipped and then he fell back down in a painful heap on the table with his entire body throbbing. He'd been cut, Squall thought distantly, feeling the hot wetness seep onto the table and soak the side of his shirt. "Why aren't you trying? Aren't you angry, _furious_ with me? I'm part of the reason that your world is going to be swallowed whole, soon."

Squall shook his head hard once, knowing that Xaldin was right in a way, but unable to actually feel it. Instead of the rage he should have been feeling, it was only a sense of resigned acceptance, guilt, almost.

_I had not realized you were a coward, Squall Leonhart._

'_I'm _not,_'_ Squall returned, his mental voice acidic. Slowly, he rolled over and attempted to back away from the shadow he could see out of the corner of his eye. A lance whirled past him and sunk into the edge of the table, catching the hem of his leather coat and pinning him to the table. _Shit._ Before he could react, three more imbedded into his clothes and left him struggling to free himself from the metal table, with no luck. "What are you doing?" he snarled, yanking at one of his wrists even though he knew that it was futile. "Let me go, Xaldin!"

The older man did not respond instantly; instead he sent one more spear to pin the collar of Squall's black bomber jacket to the wall, smirking at the startled look on the boy's face. "It's interesting, you know. You still look at me like I'm _him,_" Xaldin purred, easily grabbing Squall's ankle when he kicked out in an attempt to fend the Nobody off. It was with sadistic pleasure that he squeezed a little too hard, a smile curling his lips at the stifled noise of pain and nearly frantic struggle that erupted. There would be a brightly colored bruise on the teen's barely tanned flesh, of that much he was sure and it was with that small thought that he pushed Squall's leg to the side, holding the other one down just as easily. "I'm not, _Squall_, I'm not him anymore and it would do you good to remember that."

Squall glared up at Xaldin with as much hate as he could muster, his entire body tense and practically humming as he waited for an opportunity, some kind of slip so that he could get away or at least fight back. When Xaldin's free hand rose up, Squall tilted his chin up a little more, keeping his angry gaze on the older man and refusing to flinch or be weak again. Instead of the strike he expected, the hand tangled into his hair, clenching hard and pulling. A startled gasp escaped him –_what was he _doing_—_and then Xaldin's lips were on his, hot and hard, the kiss having nothing to do with being romantic and everything to do with dominance. Fingertips curling around one of the spears lodged in the metal, Squall writhed, trying to find a way to escape because it _wasn't Dilan_.

"_Squall_!"

Squall's eyes flew open in shock at the same time as the Nobody growled out a curse, waving a hand in a gesture that Squall had come to recognize as a wind attack. "No! C-" he managed, finding his leg freed for a brief moment. A hard kick was aimed at any open part of Xaldin's body, relief and satisfaction flowing through him when he felt his boot connect with Xaldin's stomach. "Cloud, watch out!"

Xaldin stared at Squall for a quick moment, his face unreadable, before turning around to deal with the blond teen who had rushed into the room. "Another intrusion?" he asked rhetorically, sweeping his eyes over the slender boy with growing amusement. "You escaped, I see."

Cloud didn't respond; instead he slid into a battle-ready stance, his feet shifted evenly as he watched the room for any sign of the spears.

'_His eyes_,' Squall thought with shock, '_they're…'_

"Squall?"

The teen tore his gaze away from Cloud, instead focusing on the new person, one who he had only met once or twice. "Zack?" he breathed, taking note of the same glowing eyes that Cloud seemed to have mysteriously acquired. "What-"

"Shh, stop. Don't ask any questions right now. We've gotta get out of here before this entire castle is overrun with those… things. Move your arm; I don't want to cut you when I take this thing out." Zack reached over, curling one gloved hand around the spear and pulling hard; the spear slid out as if it were only a knife in butter. "Next one, hold still."

Squall obeyed and another spear was drawn out and tossed aside, leaving only a few more keeping him pinned. Over the older man's shoulder he could see Cloud wielding a sword that looked too large for him, yet it seemed that he was doing fine with it. Better than fine, Squall realized, watching the blond rush forward in a swift move, bringing his sword up and swinging it down, just missing the Nobody. "What happened to you?" Squall whispered, barely noticing that he was finally free. "Zack, what's going on?"

The black haired man didn't respond instantly, instead choosing to push aside the red-stained shirt and place a hand over the wound, whispering a Cura spell. The wound closed up, healing quickly, just as the throbbing in his head and the rest of his body stopped. "Thanks," Squall managed, glancing around the room to see where Lionhart had landed and not realizing that his questing had been ignored. The spears that had been removed just a few minutes earlier suddenly flew up and toward where Xaldin and Cloud were still fighting. _'Shiva!'_

_Summon me fully, little one._

Squall glanced up to Zack. "You might want to move away."

Zack obeyed without more than a questioning look, stepping back and leaving Squall to release all of Shiva's energy. Breath frosting in front of him, Zack kept a watchful eye on the entire room though he was unable to keep his gaze from returning to the guardian that had appeared in a flash of ice and glittering blue mist.

"Finally," she said with amusement, waving a hand in a graceful movement, sending shards of ice flying toward the hovering spears. With sharp clinks, the weapons were weighted down with the ice, falling to the floor a moment later. Xaldin slid back a step, turning his attention to where Squall was standing, his hand placed on the wall to steady him and his eyes glowing silver and blue as Shiva manifested through him.

"Nice trick," Xaldin allowed, dodging Cloud with a quick sidestep. Shiva followed him, her hands shining with pale blue light as she drew closer to the Nobody. One quick blast sent him flying back to the wall and another froze his body to the very same wall. Oddly enough, the Nobody did not struggle; his attention wasn't even on the guardian. Instead it was on the brunet teen who stood in the open and unprotected.

"Shall I kill him?" Shiva asked, her voice low and clear.

"X-"

There was no time to react, as a flash of black and silver flickered into the room and then Shiva was kneeling on the ground clutching herself with rage clear on her face.

"Sephiroth!" Zack hissed, stalking forward with his own weapon at the ready, just as Cloud's was. The silver-haired warrior gave no indication he had heard them as he swung his sword once more and then Shiva was gone, back inside Squall's mind terribly weakened.

Xaldin was free almost a second after that, the spears breaking free from the ice a moment later. "Vexen hasn't been doing his job as well as I hoped, has he?" He drawled, examining Sephiroth. "How did you escape, then?"

"I've no business with you nor am I a pawn that you can manipulate," Sephiroth growled, his cat-like green eyes fixed on both Cloud and Zack. "I will not hesitate in killing you if you are to get in my way."

'_The words were so familiar_,' Squall thought with a swallow. What had been going on while he had been so blind? He'd just assumed that Cloud had other things to do, but obviously there was something more than what he had discovered earlier- more than he could ever imagine. The test subjects that had been spoken of… _'Cloud...'_

There was no more time for him to ponder on what had really been going on- the battle began quickly, with Sephiroth blurring as he attacked, black feathers floating down in a crazed rush of air. At the same time, Xaldin turned his full attention to Squall, a small smirk on his face. "Again?" he inquired, not giving the teen a chance to respond before he attacked.

Cloud was alive. Zack was alive. Hell, even Sephiroth was alive and that meant there had to be more still- there was a reason to fight, now. All of Squall's attention focused on Xaldin and Leonhart was brought up swiftly, knocking aside the spears as he stalked forward. "This ends, now," Squall said lowly. "All of it."

Xaldin didn't respond, he only rushed forward, holding one spear while the rest floated around him at the ready. One swift strike was blocked by Squall, who in turn slid forward and twisted his torso, very nearly hitting the Nobody's leg with the sharp tip. The Cura still humming through him, Squall fell quickly into the rhythm of battle, blocking everything else out. He was doing fine, until the nearly frantic cry of, "Zack! _No_!"

Squall froze, his eyes moving to where Cloud was leaning heavily against the wall, blond hair damp with sweat, his glowing blue eyes wide and panicked. Sephiroth had a pleased smirk on his face, blood spattered on his face as he looked at the black haired man pinned to the wall with Masamune right below his ribs.

"No, no _nononono_." Cloud stumbled forward with a cry, swinging his own blade down as hard as he could. Sephiroth drew the sword out of Zack with a wet noise, disappearing for a minute and then Cloud gasped, dropping his blade as fire erupted through his body. Choking, he gripped the blade hard, his feet dangling inches from the ground. Fighting back the rush of pain, he pulled himself forward, noting the surprised look on Sephiroth's face. "I won't…won't let you get _away_ with this…"

Xaldin laughed shortly, bored with the battle and already knowing how it would end. Squall was pale, obviously torn between going to help his childhood friend and fighting Xaldin himself.

"Xaldin, I believe we have other thing to worry about; let Sephiroth finish them off." A voice called. The owner appeared a moment later- a scarred man with only one eye. "We've got bigger and less amusing problems in the lab."

Before Xaldin could respond the man was gone, vanishing in a portal of darkness. Squall had taken that moment to rush forward, gunblade at the ready and then Sephiroth staggered, finding the edge of the blade protruding from his own stomach. It was all a rush from there: Squall withdrew, staggered away and it was just enough time for Cloud to attack once more, sending Sephiroth flying away as he drew the older man's sword out of his body with a broken cry.

Everything was going downhill from what he had planned, Xaldin realized with a scowl. There would be other times to fight the brunet teen and no doubt, the next battle would be much more interesting- it wouldn't do for one of the other Nobodies to get to him, of course. Squall was _his_, without a doubt. His to take, his to kill. With that in mind, it took only a gesture and command to a spear and then Squall was on his knees, clutching his face with blood seeping between his fingers. "Remember this, Squall," Xaldin said loudly, drawing the attention of all who were in the room. "This mark proves it. You're mine, and when the time comes, _I'll_ be the one to kill you."

A portal was summoned a second later and Xaldin strode forward with the intent to throw the bleeding teen in.

"Cloud!" Squall scrambled forward, catching the other teen as he swayed and then collapsed to the ground, blond hair dark with sweat and a smear of blood on his cheek. Neither of the boys was expecting the kick that sent them tumbling back and then they were falling into darkness.

17.

"Cloud!" Squall awoke with a strangled gasp, one hand searching for his blade, panicking even more when he found that it was nowhere within reach. He was tangled in something and he couldn't get _out_ and-

"Shh, Squall, relax, it's just me," a voice soothed, cool hands cupping his cheeks and stroking back his hair in a decidedly motherly gesture. Squall looked up, meeting soft green eyes. "Relax, okay? You're safe here, I promise. We're safe right now."

"A-Aerith?" Squall croaked, allowing her to push him back into the bed and tuck him in again. "What…"

The brunette woman shook her head, reaching over to grab a glass of water and then holding it to his lips. "Drink, you're probably thirsty after sleeping for so long."

Squall obeyed after a moment of examining her again to make sure she was real. The water was blessedly cold, soothing the desert-dry feeling in his mouth and throat. "Thanks," he rasped once he could speak again. "Where…"

"We're in a place called Traverse Town- Merlin—do you remember him?—he's letting us stay here." Aerith combed her fingers through his choppy bangs, her expression oddly sad. "There… It's just you, Merlin, Cid, Yuffie, and I, here. We haven't found anyone else and we don't even know how we got here. I… don't know where Cloud is."

'_Cloud…Zack… Xaldin.'_

Squall nodded slightly, his fingers clenching the sheets tightly. He was right. He wasn't strong enough to protect them, he hadn't been able to save Cloud, Ansem, or Zack and now they were trapped on some random world –or _dead_, all because of him.

As if she could read minds, Aerith let out a small 'tsk' of displeasure. "Squall, it's not your fault." Aerith placed a finger under his chin and tilted his head to the side. "I know that look. None of this is your fault."

"Leon," he said quietly, moving to sit up once more.

"What?" Aerith leaned forward to help him, the confusion evident in her voice. "Who?"

Squall drew in a shaky breath. He was no longer 'Squall'; he couldn't be, not if he wanted to set things right again. The name 'Squall' had too much blood and death attached to it, and this was a new world. "My name is Leon, now," he said firmly, looking at the stone walls of the room. Aerith didn't say anything for a moment; she only drew her arms around him in a soft hug.

"A new start?" she asked softly, already knowing the answer. "Shall we call you Leon Leonhart, now?"

Squall nodded at that, catching sight of his reflection and the new scar on his face in the mirror hung crookedly on the other side of the room. He'd set things right again, or he would die trying- he owed them that much at least.

--

Epilogue to come when I get some other stuff done. Also hope to have the second chapter to Equivalence out eventually.


End file.
